


Bloom

by dragonsong (NekoAisu)



Series: Commissioned Works [8]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode Ignis Verse 2, F/M, King Noctis Lucis Caelum, Musical Instruments, Romance, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:40:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27519265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoAisu/pseuds/dragonsong
Summary: "Have you been doing anything for leisure as of late?”He takes a bite before asking, “Other than thinking of you?”She blushes, red flooding her cheeks brightly enough that it’s a miracle it doesn’t bleed to her ears, and nearly shouts, “Okay! Enough of casual! I─you’re too smooth, Ignis! That really isn’t fair.”“To speak the truth?”She can hear Noctis snicker from his spot on the far side of the garden. “I cannot believe you, Mr. Scientia.”
Relationships: Ignis Scientia/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Commissioned Works [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2011288
Kudos: 2





	Bloom

**Author's Note:**

> Commissioned by [@KrystaYvisual](https://twitter.com/KrystaYvisual)  
> Scintilia is their character and is in no way mine!
> 
> Please understand that this work does not and will not contain links to my commissions or any related commercial/for-profit sites. These work was negotiated separate from Ao3. I do not take any profit from hosting publicly released commissions on this site.

Noctis has no love for early mornings. He enjoys the sun ( _ gods,  _ did he miss it), but not when it shines bright and immutable through his eyelids. He groans when his alarm gets louder, flailing about in search of his phone to make it shut up and hisses when he falls unceremoniously out of bed and onto the floor. He curses lowly at whichever Caelum had thought it a good idea to put marble flooring in a bedroom where people would have to get up in the morning and not, you know,  _ freeze their toes off.  _ His phone clatters to the floor next to him as if to mock his pain. 

He stands, cracking his back and stretching, and checks his notifications. The little icon for unread messages reads 15 in bright red text. He opens up the app and selects the first unread thread. 

**Scintilia** said at 05:03: I’m on the train! Be there soon!

**Scintilia** said at 09:53: Arrived at the station! Insomnia is loud even in the morning. Should I head straight to the Citadel?

He types a response and hits send, shoving hair back from his face in an effort to look slightly more kingly than he feels at ten in the morning. He gazes longingly at his bed. 

There are things to be done─he even has a  _ scheme  _ on his schedule for the day (unbeknownst to Ignis)─that cannot wait for him to sleep for a few more hours. He has already snoozed longer than planned, the incessant ringing of his ten o’ clock alarm a sharp reminder that he needs to get his butt in gear. 

**HRM Noctis** said at 10:02: I slept in. Omw soon ;;

He shuffles over to the bath and does his best to speedrun his morning routine just like he used to as a teenager. Hair is combed, pajamas swapped for dayclothes, and he is out the door with a minute to spare. 

The drive to the train station is quick as it can be, considering Insomnia’s rebuilding. Despite the diminished population, the people have made every effort to fix up the roads and infrastructure with the Dawn’s return. While there are still potholes and busted ramps in nearly every direction, the main thoroughfare has long since been rehabilitated. The station is less than a mile from Insomnia’s port exit and bustling with activity. 

The people pay him little mind, common of a sight as he has become amongst them, and a few even stop to wave or ask if he is out for leisure. “I’m meeting a friend,” he says, asking if they knew what gates the Tenebraean passenger trains would be at. 

“Down the main hall to the left. Should be E-seven or F-twelve. Have fun!”

He waves, smiling. It still feels surreal to have a chance at life when he expected to long since have died for the sake of the Star. The click of his shoes against the stone is almost too sharp, just like how the sun never stops being blinding. 

“Noctis!” 

He turns just in time to spot his friend hurrying down the corridor toward him, suitcase and cello bag in hand. “Scintilia,” he calls, “sorry I’m late.”

“It’s fine,” she replies, beaming at him. “We should hurry! It’s almost noon and you said Ignis takes his lunch at one o’ clock  _ sharp.” _

He laughs, offering to take one of her bags. “Yeah. Same Specs as always. The Citadel is running better than ever and the pile of work on my desk is…  _ singular.” _

“Is that just king-speak for terrifying?”

“A bit,” he admits, unlocking the car as they approach. 

The drive back is just as uneventful, but this time it’s far from quiet. Scintilia comments on all the changes that occurred since her last visit, asking about community care projects and how the food supply has fared with the new farming schedule. He answers her questions to the best of his ability, following some of his answers with inquiries of his own. 

They chatter as they head into the Citadel and on the elevator ride up to the Aulea’s Garden (or, as Prompto likes to call it, the “Royal Nap Room” after he caught Noctis skipping a council meeting to snooze in the sunlit warmth of the greenhouse). They set up for lunch quickly, Scinitilia unpacking her cello and other necessary materials while Noctis leaves to wrangle Ignis into an early break. 

She settles down and checks to ensure each string is in tune before warming up. It’s after she completes a set of scales that she catches voices approaching from down the hall, a muffled _ “What’s this about, Noct? I have been taking time off.” _ tipping her off to the arrival of her treasured guest. 

Ignis is led into the garden. Well, less led and more accompanied. He has never been one to allow others to assist him with what he can manage himself. 

“What is this about? I don’t see the point of eating here when I could very well have stayed in my office.”

Scintilia watches as Noctis pulls a chair for him and comes up with some half-truth or another, waiting for his signal before beginning to play. 

It’s the same song she had shared with him many years before, a familiar tune to the both of them. It was also part of her promise that, once she completed further training for rule, she would return to perform it for him once more. She watches as he stops talking, eyes widening as he turns toward her, and wishes he could see how happy she is to fulfill their promise. 

His eyes widen, unseeing but no less expressive, behind his visor. “Scintilia,” he whispers in disbelief. “You’ve returned.” 

She smiles and continues her performance. He is a willing audience, listening with such focus he might as well have been seated in the center of a concert hall and not on a semi-rusted garden chair. He says nothing further as she plays, content to enjoy the surprise. 

Scintilia puts her all into every note. Between the time they spent apart and their respective lives, contact had been sparing and (above all) stiflingly professional. Neither of them could risk being too casual when the world was still recovering. While it is by no means smooth sailing now, she is now far more free to do as she pleases within her own land and that of Lucis proper. It’s not unexpected when she adds a few small flourishes toward the end. 

There is no way she can keep the joy from her voice when she says, “Hello again, Ignis.”

He laughs, the sound nearly breathless, and stands from his chair to walk towards her. She puts her cello aside carefully before moving to meet him, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing gently. He hugs her back, grinning into her hair as if he was still young as he had been when they met. “We have a lot of catching up to do,” he says, pulling back to allow her some space.

“And we have a lunch to eat, too,” she says with no end to cheer, walking with him back to the table. “Come, we can talk all about your adventures and exploits over sandwiches. I missed you dearly.”

“And I you,” he replies. “So, how have your studies been going?”

She groans, huffing with false upset. “Oh, don’t you start with that! Tell me about how you’ve  _ been,  _ Ignis. Not about work or treaties, but about  _ you.  _ I’ll start─I’ve recently picked up a new novel to read. It’s about two princesses and their quest to free a dragon from its curse.”

“An interesting choice.”

“Isn’t it? I think you’d enjoy it, actually─” she passes him a sandwich and helps herself to one as well “─with the writing being as nice as it is. Have you been doing anything for leisure as of late?”

He takes a bite before asking, “Other than thinking of you?”

She blushes, red flooding her cheeks brightly enough that it’s a miracle it doesn’t bleed to her ears, and nearly shouts, “Okay! Enough of casual! I─you’re too smooth, Ignis! That really isn’t fair.”

“To speak the truth?”

She can hear Noctis snicker from his spot on the far side of the garden. “I cannot believe you, Mr. Scientia.”

“Forgive me,” he says between bites, “but I’m not lying. I missed you every moment, Tilia.”

She flounders, stuck without a response, and takes a particularly large mouthful of sandwich as a way to avoid replying. 

“So tell me, how does that novel begin? I would love to hear it.”

**Author's Note:**

> [insert cello noises here]
> 
> Twitter [@khirimochi](https://twitter.com/khirimochi) OR [@TheHolyBody (NSFW)](https://twitter.com/TheHolyBody)  
> Tunglr @[Main](https://kiriami.tumblr.com) OR @[FFXIV Imagines](https://ffxivimagines.tumblr.com)


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